


Sometimes

by WriteItSmall (scribblemyname)



Series: Comment Fic LiveJournal Stories [20]
Category: Firefly
Genre: Advice, Community: comment_fic, F/M, Friendship, Pining, Regret, Romantic Angst, Taking a Risk, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-02
Updated: 2014-07-02
Packaged: 2018-02-07 04:00:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1884525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scribblemyname/pseuds/WriteItSmall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"If you could go back in time," Kaylee asked as she tossed an apple back and forth between her hands, "what would you change?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sometimes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tigriswolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigriswolf/gifts).



> Written for the prompt [author's choice, author's choice, if you could go back... what would you change? ](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/536872.html?thread=76576040#t76576040) by tigriswolf on the Comment Fic LJ comm.

"If you could go back in time," Kaylee asked as she tossed an apple back and forth between her hands, "what would you change?"  
  
Mal looked at her for a long moment, then sighed as he went back to cutting through his good-looking but less than tasty 'steak.' He wouldn't change the war. He wouldn't change buying Serenity, acquiring the crew he had, being there for Simon and River, or... really almost anything.  
  
Almost.  
  
"Captain?" Kaylee's tone lifted in that way she always had when she'd seen right through a man.  
  
"Inara." He shook his head. "She shouldn't have had to leave."  
  
Kaylee looked at him, mouth slightly open for a moment, apple still in her hands, then she closed her mouth and nodded. He could see the faint sadness in her eyes that said she realized what he meant.  
  
He wouldn't go back and tell the woman he loved her. He would have hidden it better so she wouldn't have needed to run away.  
  
"Sometimes, Cap..." Kaylee rocked on her heels a moment before getting enough courage to shove it out. "Sometimes it's worth it to risk something."  
  
Mal knew that. He'd risked everything so many times for his soldiers, for his crew, for Serenity. But sometimes... "Well, sometimes, Kaylee..." He looked into her face, that eager listening look she got. He sighed and went back to eating his protein.  
  
Sometimes.


End file.
